Carrying bag construction



Filed Jan. 5. 1962 United States Patent C) 3,164,231 CARRYTNG EAG CQNSTRUCTHON Louis F. Kryznosiri, Trenton, NJ., assigner to Atlantic Production Corporation, Trenton, NJ., a corporation of New Eersey Filed Jan. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 164,559 4 Claims. (Cl. 19h-43) This invention relates to luggage bags, and more particularly relates to folding wardrobe bags as illustrated generally in U.S. Patent 2,596,412 in the name of Kish et al. which is assigned to the .assignee of the present invention.

The novel bag of the present invention is particularly suitable for use with mens suits, or other similar relatively short garments, while it can still be useful for use with longer garments such as womens dresses, as is described in the above noted United States patent.

In accordance with the present invention, the novel bag is so constructed that -a suit on a hanger can be placed Within the bag when a rectangular iiap which provides access to the interior of the bag is opened. The ap then carries a pair of retainer flaps which are adapted to close over bottom portions of the garment so as to secure the garment in a manner which is less susceptible to wrinkling than as in the usual type of packing arrangement. The rectangular hap is thereafter folded toward its closed position with the retainer iiap serving as a fold line on which the suit is folded.

The novel retainer flaps of the invention have a relatively short length and are not coextensive with the full length of the main ap. Thus, a considerable saving is effected by using a relatively short retainer ap, although it has been found Ithat completely satisfactory results follow with such short retainer flaps.

The short retainer flaps are then secured together after being folded over the garment as by a zipper which is carried on the two ends of the retainer flaps. Alternatively, rthe flaps can be butted together. The retainer flaps are sufficiently long so that no inward force is exerted on the secured garment as would be the case when elastic straps, or the like, are used.

With the garments secured in the above noted manner, it has been observed that an empty space is formed beneath the lower portions of the secured garment. This space can be used for other storage such as shoes and the like. As a further feature of the invention, and to provide access to this space without disturbing the garments, I have provided a novel flap in the outer portion of the bag which is opened to provide access into these internal portions of the bag. This type of flap is to be contrasted to a pocket within the wall of the bag which is well known to the art. With the auxiliary opening of the present invention, access is provided directly to the interior of the bag to the Volume formed at the bottom of the bag because of the manner in which the suits are stored and retained.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a novel luggage bag in which inexpensive but effective retaining means retain the bottom of garments hung within the bag.

Another object of this invention is to provide novel retainer ap means for luggage bags particularly suitable for reception of short garments such as mens suits.

A still further object of this invention is to provide novel means for making eective use of the space created when a garment has its lower edges enclosed against an operable apron by a retaining means.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a bag constructed in accordance with the present invention when in the folded position and ready for carrying.

FIGURE 2 shows the bag of FIGURE 1 when in its extended position.

FIGURE 4 illustrates the manner in which a suit is placed in the open bag of FIGURE 3 prior to securing of the retainer flaps.

FIGURE 5 illustrates the retainer flaps of FIGURE 4 in their secured position to secure the lower edges of a mans suit.

Referring now to the drawings, the bag is formed generally of a front panel 10 and a rear panel 11 which are of any appropriate flexible material such as canvas or leather. The panels 10 :and 11 are joined together as by sewing by a web or gusset 12. The rear panel 11 carries an apron or iiap 13 Vtherein which is secured to rear panel 11 by the zipper 14. When zipper 14 is opened, the flap 13 can be moved back, as illustrated in FIGURE 3, to

provide access to the interior 15 of the bag.

After packing, and when the bag is folded to the position of FIGURE 1, the clasp 20 of FIGURE 2 is inserted in an appropriate cooperating clasp 21 in the usual manner (not shown) where the clasp members 20 and 21 are, for example, riveted to the web 12 at the opposite ends of web 12.

A carrying handle 22 is then secured to a central portion of the front panel 1t) as by riveting, whereby the yclasp members 20 and 21 :are at the bottom of the bag so that the bag has an improved appearance. Moreover, it is not necessary with this novel arrangement to have a pair of carrying handles where one would be adjacent to clamp 20 and the other adjacent clamp 21 so that the bag may be balanced, but only a single carrying member 22 need be provided.

The interior of flap 13 then has a pair of retainer flaps 30 'and 31 sewn thereto or secured thereto in any other desired manner. Each of retainer flaps 30 and 31 are provided with Zipper halves 32 and 33 respectively Where the zipper halves 32 and 33 are provided with rearwardly extending portions which increase the ease in which the aps can be secured together after appropriate placement of a garment within the bag and on top of ap 13.

While the embodiment of FIGURE 3 shows the novel retainerY flaps 3G and 31 as being secured together by the zipper means 32 and 33, it will be apparent that any other fastening means such as buttons or clips could be provided.

In using the bag of FIGURES 1, 2 `and 3 for packing a mans suit, or a similar garment, the suit is placed on a hanger, as illustrated in FIGURE 4 and the hanger is secured to an appropriate hanger bar 34, (FIGURE 3) where the hanger bar 34 could be secured to the web 12 by the same fastening means that secure clasp member 20 to the web 12.

The lower end of the suit, as illustrated in FIGURE 4, lies beyond the end of the relatively short retainer flaps 36 and 31. That is to say, the rel-atively short retainer flaps 30 and 31 are not coextensive with ap 13, as has been required in the prior art. By relatively short retainer ilaps, I intend to define a structure wherein the length of retainer flaps 30 and 31 is less than atleast half the length of ilap 13.

Thus, in FIGURE 4, the suit is placed in the manner illustrated where the suit front and sleeves are slightly cross-folded so as to come within the interior 15 of the bag.

Thereafter, and as illustrated in FIGURE 5, the retainer flaps 30 and 31 are closed over the bottom portions of the garment, and the zipper halves 32 and 33 are secured together to retain the bottom of the suit in position. It is to be noted that the retainer flaps 30 and 31 are tight enough to retain the lower end of the garment in position, although they are not so tight as to crush the suit. Thereafter, the flap 13 is folded upwardly to its closed position,

and zipper 14 is pulled closed. During this folding operation, the right-hand side of flaps 3G and 3l serve as a well defined fold line for the garments.

It Vwill be observed that when the suits are packed in the manner described, the left-hand portion of interior 15 which is to the left of the bottom of flap i3 is substantially empty. It has been the practice to utilize this volume for packing of shoes, toilet cases and so on prior to the time that the suit is packed within interior l5.

As a further'feature of the novel invention, `an auxiliary flap 40 is placed in the panel 19, as illustrated in FlG- URES l and 3, and is secured within panel 10 by the zipper 41. That is, liap 40 extends completely through panel l0, as contrasted to old and Well known pockets which are commonly provided in the front panels of bags.

The novel ap 40 now provides access to the empty interior portion of the bag, even after placement of long garments within the bag. Thus, this empty volume formed by the manner in which suits and the like are packed within the bag is now accessible after the packing of the suits, and access is provided to this additional space without opening the bag and disturbing suits or the like packed therein.

Although this invention has been described with respect to its preferred embodiments it should be understood that Vmany variations and modifications will now be obvious to those skilled in the art, and it is preferred, therefore, that the scope of this invention, be limited not by the specific disclosure herein but only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A folding luggage bag comprising, in combination, an inner panel, an outer panel, a web connected to corresponding end edges of said panels and spacing said panels to form a garment compartment, a flap formed in said inner panel and providing access to said garment compartment, fastening means for securing the side edges of said flap to the adjacent edges of said panel, and retaining flap means secured to the inside portion of said flap, said retaining flap means having a relatively small length along said ap, said retaining flap means being securable with respect to said flap fto enclose lower ends of garments laid on top of the inner portion of saidv ap; said retaining ap means comprising a iirst and second flap portion being directly sewn to and extending from opposing sides of said flap, the outer ends of said lirst and second iiap portions being securable together.

2. A folding luggage bag comprising, in combination, an inner panel, an outer panel, a web connected to corresponding end edges of said panels and spacing said panels to form a garment compartment, a flap formed in said inner panel and providing access to said garment compartment, fastening means for securing the side edges of said yflap to the adjacent edges of said panel, and retaining flap means secured to the'inside portion of said flap, said retaining flap means having a relatively small length along said flap, said Vretaining ap means being securable with irespect to said iiap to enclose lower ends or garments laid on top of the inner portion of said flap; said retaining iiap means comprising a rst and second ap portion being directly sewn to and extending from opposing sides of said iiap, the outer ends of said rst and second flap portions being secnrabie together; said outer ends of said rst and second iiap portions having cooperating zipper portions for securing said first and second iiap portions together.

3. A folding luggage bag comprising, in combination, an inner panel, an outer panel, a web connected to corresponding end edges of said panels and spacing said panels to form a garment compartment, a Hap formed in said inner panel and providing access to said garment compartment, fastening means for securing the side edges ot said iiap to the adjacent edges of said panel, and retaining iiap means secured to the inside portion of said ap, said retaining iiap means having a relatively small length along said ilap, said retaining flap means being securable with respect to said ap to enclose lower ends of garments laid on top of fthe inner portion of said flap; said outer panel having an auxiliary iiap therein; said auxiliary flap being adjacent the area containing the lower ends of said garments.

4. A folding luggage bag comprising, in combination, an inner panel, an outer panel, a web connected to corresponding end edges of said panels and spacing said panels to form a garment compartment, a iiap formed in said inner panel and providing access to said garment cornpartment, fastening means for securing the side edges of said iiap to the adiacent edges of said panel, and retaining iiap means secured to the inside portion of said ap, said retaining flap means having a relatively small length along said ap, said retaining ilap means being securable with respect to said ap to enclose lower ends of garments laid on top of the inner portion of said Hap; said retaining nap means comprising a rst and second flap portion directly secured to and extending from opposing sides of said iiap, the outer ends of said irst and second flap portions being securabie together; said outer ends of said first and second ap portions having cooperating zipper portions for securing said rst and second flap portions together; said front panel having an auxiliary tlap therein; said auxiliary flap being adjacent the area containing the lower ends of said garnichts.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,157,833 Plotkin May 9, 1939 2,325,806 Simmons Aug. 3, i943 2,774,450 Smallberg Dec. i8, 1956 3,084,771 Davis Apr. 9, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS 350,475 Italy .Tilly 14, i937 627,282 Great Britain Aug. 4, i949 844,390 reat Britain Aug. l0, 1960 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No. 3,164,231 JanuaryyS, .1965

Lou-is F. Kryznoski It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

In the grant, lines Z and l2, and in the heading to the printed specification, lines 3 and 4, for "Atlantic'kPTQduction CoTpoTation", each occurrence, read Atlantic Products CoTpoTation Signed and sealed this 6th day of July 1965.

SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A FOLDING LUGGAGE BAG COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN INNER PANEL, AN OUTER PANEL, A WEB CONNECTED TO CORRESPONDING END EDGES OF SAID PANELS AND SPACING SAID PANELS TO FORM A GARMENT COMPARTMENT, A FLAP FORMED IN SAID INNER PANEL AND PROVIDING ACCESS TO SAID GARMENT COMPARTMENT, FASTENING MEANS FOR SECURING THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID FLAP TO THE ADJACENT EDGES OF SAID PANEL, AND RETAINING FLAP MEANS SECURED TO THE INSIDE PORTION OF SAID FLAP, SAID RETAINING FLAP MEANS HAVING A RELATIVELY SMALL LENGTH ALONG SAID FLAP, SAID RETAINING FLAP MEANS BEING SECURABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID FLAP TO ENCLOSE LOWER ENDS OF GARMENTS LAID ON TOP OF THE INNER PORTION OF SAID FLAP; SAID RETAINING FLAP MEANS COMPRISING A FIRST AND SECOND FLAP PORTION BEING DIRECTLY SEWN TO AND EXTENDING FROM OPPOSING SIDES OF SAID FLAP, THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND FLAP PORTIONS BEING SECURABLE TOGETHER. 